Kerry to meet with Ukrainian officials in Kiev

WASHINGTON (AP) -- A senior administration official says Secretary of State John Kerry will travel to the Ukrainian capital of Kiev Tuesday to meet with government officials.

Kerry's trip comes as the U.S. and other Western nations weigh a response to Russia's military advance into Ukraine. Kerry has raised the possibility of issuing economic sanctions and visa bans, freezing Russian assets and levying trade and investment penalties.

The official says the U.S. now believes that Russia has complete operational control of the Crimea peninsula, a pro-Russian area of Ukraine, and has more than 6,000 forces in the region. The official said the U.S. is also watching for ethnic skirmishes in other areas of eastern Ukraine.

A second administration official indicated that the U.S. was not weighing military action to counter Russia's advances, saying the Obama administration's efforts were focused on political, economic and diplomatic options.

The officials were not authorized to publicly discuss the situation and insisted on anonymity.

I think Putin has more leverage than we do. He can cut off flights to the space station, he can cut off natural gas and oil to the Ukraine and Europe. What if he and China get together and decide the “dollar” will no longer be acceptable as the universal currency. Obama can’t deal with Karsi, he doesn’t have a chance with Putin.

Do that John. you're going to have BRICS dumping the dollar for good all over the world, and China not paying your debt anymore, and personally repossessing all the real state they own around the U.S. of A.

I don't thing any smart precident of United Estates,will want to confront head to head Russia.Do not be estupid ,only ******** thing that we can win every war,and soon we gom to war then come the liberalsprotesting, REMEMBER VIETNAM,IRAK,ETC.